My name is Nora Manziano and I am a senior at ODU. I am majoring in Special Education but my goal is to get my Master’s in Speech Pathology once I get back to the United States. I grew up in a small town in Virginia but I am currently living inCatania, Italy with my husband, who is stationedhere with the U.S. Navy. I am taking this course because rather than wait to student teach when I return to the U.S., I am satisfying my credit requirements with psychology and sociology classes and completing my degree without a teaching certification. I chose cross-cultural psychology because of the culture shock that hit me when I arrived in Italy in April. I want to learn more about the differences and similarities between cultures and the reasons behind the differences. By the end of this class, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of cultures around the world.